laura "austin food scout" G.'s Profile

Review # 61: Yes, HW is cozy and filled with good wine, board games, good lighting and a limited menu should you over indulge in the wine.  (Vino Vino's food selection is MUCH better).

My .10: all this and reasonably priced.  I was tres impressed with their house  syrah priced at just $5/glass.  I figured I could probably find the bottle for under $15 - and I did!  

Basically, the HW folk are in it for the love of wine.  And I love that.

I live equidistant from Thunderbirds and Pacha.  

Decisions, decisions...

Pacha's French Roast rocks and they're friendlier.  I also like the vibe there, less hipster than Thunderbirds.

Done.  I'm a Pacha girl.

As a girl raised on Tex-Mex, it's taken me a while to appreciate the understated flavor originating from south of the border.  However.  I thought Casa Columbia was great fun.  

We started with the Arepas with goat cheese and panela salsa.  The fried corn patties were fairly bland on their own, but the goat cheese went nicely with the salsa, which is on the sweet side.  And they were not stingy with the serving, either.  The aborrajado, on the other hand, was the true hit.  A deep fried plantain filled with mozzarella.  The sweet taste of the plantain was a nice surprise.

I sampled my friend's ceviche and found it classic, simple and very refreshing on this 100+ day.  I opted for the Colombian version of the tamale: pork and chicken filled corn masa steamed (for 3 days!  that's what sold me) in banana leaves.  It was surprisingly light compared to the fried apps we had to choose from.

I have to admit, I was looking for some spice in my meal that wasn't there, but our waitress said that it was a "special dish" and that they only serve it on the weekends.   I felt a bit like I was vacationing in Columbia and had stumbled upon a little hole-in-the-wall where everyone is happy to see you.  Read into this, lots of "locals" were present.  Are they Columbain vs from another South American country?  I'm sorry, but I have no idea.

It's super casual and perfect for a late Sun. lunch.  I'm so full I don't anticipate eating again today.  But I am looking forward to my leftovers!

I have been with Shelli for about 3 years now.  She took my damaged, bleached-blonde hair and convinced to become a brunette - what a change!  No more damage!

She intuitively knows what works best for your hair and is direct and upfront about what is realistic for your hair, face and lifestyle (are you really going to spend that much time on your hair in the morning?).

Not only will I always be grateful for the color change, but I look forward to seeing her because she's so down-to-earth, friendly and professional.  She's THE BEST.  I've had several stylists and paid an arm & a leg before.  Totally not worth it.  I'm with Shelli for the long haul.

So sorry, but I'm going to have to knock this down to 4 stars.  Not that I didn't completely enjoy my experience...but 5 stars indicates there is no room for improvement, and there is.  

Note: as I write this the restaurant has only been open 1 week and 1 day.  They deserve a break.

To start: nice bar with a great wine selection and knowledgeable staff (though a bit harried).  Our waiter, Bryan, was GREAT.  He comped our less-than-stellar dessert and recommended the superior duck egg creme caramel (nice and creamy  -due to yolky duck eggs, according to Bryan- like a creme brulee, without the crusty sugar top).

But wait, that's starting with dessert.

By far, the highlight of the meal was the lamb's tongue fricassee.  Melt in your mouth and slap your mother delicious.  Truly.

The lamb shoulder was  a tad disappointing as it was reminiscent of a brisket and the tomato sage sauce masked that delicious lamb flavor.  The duck confit risotto was a bit salty for my friend's taste - but I figure that's par for the course when having confit, no?

The ambiance and overall experience could not be beat.  Honestly, if I had not read such rave reviews (on Yelp) I might have been more inclined to give Olivia 5 stars.  Nonetheless, this is a MUST GO TO new restaurant.  Go before the big guys give it rave reviews and the wait becomes unbearable.

Already planning what I'll have on my return...

Sigh.  I was totally prepared to love this place - owned by El Chile owners (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will) and wonderful ambiance...but the food was mediocre.  Really, I'm leaning toward 2 1/2 starts here.  I swear the "roasted peaches" are canned...

But dinner before dessert.

The beet appetizer with feta, balsamic and parsley tasted canned.  To double check this, I had the basically the same beet salad from Whole Foods in my refrigerator and I sampled as soon as I got home that night (because I'm a nerd, I know).  Sure enough, WF's salad tasted fresher!  Likewise the eggplant caponata was passable; but these days we get just as good food from our grocery store take-out section.

My companion and I both had meals that incorporated mussels - a little fishy tasting, but we managed to eat them and neither one of us suffered any ill effects.  I had the cioppino which was OK; though again, the garlic "crostini" was reminiscent of Stouffer's garlic bread and it was slathered with aioli.  Yummy.  But it seemed a bit out of place.

As I write this I'm asking myself the same question you're probably wondering, why 3 stars instead of 2??  Well...I'm hoping it improves (as others have said) and the menu is ambitious.  I'll definitely give it a second try, but stick to hearty sandwiches and perhaps the fried risotto balls.  Now that sounds yummy.

Disclaimer: I have a picture of Julia Child inside one of my kitchen cabinets for inspiration.  Thus, I am inclined to enjoy an unpretentious, hearty French meal in a restaurant that makes you feel as if every table in it is beside the hearth.  Lucky for me, Austin has just that restaurant in Chez Nous.

Chez Nous offers authentic French food presented in a straightforward manner with an accessible wine list.  The staff is helpful, but keeps a distance so that food and your company is the focus of the evening, not them.  Though when asked, they are extremely helpful.  I've been several times and I will say that the lamb is absolutely outstanding - the second best I've ever had (York St. in Dallas hold the number one spot).

Why 4 instead of 5 stars?  One waitress was slightly rude to my father (I sensed it, not sure he did- silly him, he asked a question).  I realize this contradicts the earlier "unpretentious" remark, but I think it's a fluke.  Nonetheless, for my father I must knock one star off.  Also, the dessert menu could fare a tad bit better.

What makes Chez Nous special are the little touches: carrying your bar tab over to the table; pate prepared in-house; consistently good food and a $25 price fixed menu option.  

Enjoy!

I had dropped my car off at Flamingo at 8:00 a.m., and apparently, had about 5 hours to spend walking up & down Guadalupe.  After 2 hours at Starbucks, a pedicure & blowing money at Buffalo Exchange it was time for lunch.

If only I had wandered in earlier!  I could have saved money on clothes & wifi.  But I know, you want to hear about the food.  Delicious hit-the-spot curry veggie pie..though I'm curious about the other veggies.  The Australian behind the counter suggested spinach-mushroom, and Tara M. recommends the roasted veggie -they must all be great!  One is filling enough for me so I'll try the others on subsequent trips; I'll definitely be back.

A great on-the-go lunch spot (reminiscent of Chipotle's, but with much cooler music) with virtually no crowd, free WiFi and a nice selection of beverages - beer included.

Y
U
M

For the unfamiliar, Wild Wood offers up dairy-,wheat- and gluten-free baked goodies, healthy hot dishes and yummy sandwiches.  To steal a line from their site, "We remain dedicated to the nutritional welfare of people with food allergies and medical restrictions."

So, should you go if you have food allergies?  Duh.  But what if you don't?  So, will you only appreciate it if you can't eat "regular" food?  Good God, no. I confess to having no dairy or gluten allergies, I just like to try new stuff.  I absolutely LOVE the baked goods at Wild Wood Art Cafe.  The rice bread does have a different texture and take, if you will, on traditional bread, however, it's wonderful.

This is a small, South American-themed cafe that  doubles as an Oaxacan art gallery.  It's a great place to pick up baked goods (as I typically do) or have a casual breakfast or lunch with a friend.  So, next time you're in the Westlake area, pick up a dairy free strawberry-rhubarb muffin or coconut pecan cookie (and a pink flamingo while you're at it).

If only Nana were still alive I'd know where to take her on a Sat. night (actually, Nana was not a country-western fan, but you get the idea).

My friend and I thought we were heading for a honky-tonk (and I was actually ready for this), alas, the play-scape should have tipped us off that this is a "family" place.  Personally, I'm not into family.

Enough with my dashed hopes.  Patsy's serves strong drinks, good hamburgers and offers live music and dancing for those over 50 or under 12.  This is just the kind of place my father would have taken me for dancing to make me feel like a grown-up.  Decor is cutesy and not too authentic looking, but the people at Patsy's are sweet as pie and have a true love for old-time country music.  

So pardner, next time you feel a hankerin' for a good burger, strong drink (who doesn't?) and Patsy Cline in the background, stop by.  Just don't expect to mingle with those under 50 (unless they are the grandchildren of the 50+ crowd).